TWS true wireless earphones - under $100
FOUR STARS - The Edifier TWS330NB wireless earbuds may not stand out when it comes to sound quality or ANC noise cancelling, but offer great call quality and comfort on a budget.
Edifier TWS330NB specs:
Bluetooth 5.2 with AAC codec
IPX54 waterproof (rain, sweat and dust resistant)
3,5 - 5 hours listening on a full charge (ANC on/off)
Charging case can charge earpieces fully 4 times
Comes with 5 sizes ear tips and USB-C cable
$60 - Buy on Amazon US, Amazon UK, other Amazon countries or AliExpress
Below this Edifier TWS330NB review, you will find comparisons of the Edifier TWS330NB vs Edifier TWSNB2, Realme Buds Air 2, Realme Buds Air 2 Neo and Coumi Freedom Dots..
All reviews on Scarbir.com are 100% unsponsored and honest. Please support my research by buying via the links on this site. You can also support me via PayPal. <3
Design, comfort and battery life
The Edifier TWS330NB is heavily inspired by the AirPods Pro design. In both white and black, the rounded case has the same wide-yet-thin approach as Apple's original. A single LED light on the front indicates the remaining case battery, and you'll find the USB-C charging point down below. Sadly, there's no option for wireless charging, and it can be a bit finicky, slippery to take the earbuds out.
The Edifier earbuds have a delightfully short stem. Helped by the diagonally placed rubber ear-tips (delivered in five different sizes), the oval top-part resides comfortable and snug in your ears. The stems don't brush your ears or cheeks when you're wearing them, and the buds also don't make you hear the inside noises of your ears. These are lightweight and comfortable to wear.
Their IP54 waterproof rating makes the buds withstand rain, sweat, and dust. Unfortunately, while the battery life is doable for most everyday activities, its score is below average. The Edifier TWS330NB delivers around 3,5 hours of playtime with ANC on, up to around 1,5 hours more with the function turned off. Happily, that's still enough time for most daily commuting. The case can recharge them four times before needing new power itself.
Controls and connectivity
The Edifier TWS330 NB pairs and connects quickly, with a stable Bluetooth connection up to 9-10 meters away from your device. It's also possible to switch between music playback on one or two earbuds at any time. However, the Edifier doesn't automatically pause when you take an earbud out.
The TWS330NB controls by touching the middle part of the stems, which can be hard to locate blindly. You'll regularly try to operate the earbuds without success. The control scheme takes getting used to:
Double-tap R to play/ pause music
Double-tap L to switch between ANC on, Transparency mode, and ANC off
Tap R three times to skip to the next song
Tap L three times to activate the Game Mode
There are no previous track or volume commands out of the box, but you can adjust some controls and add those manually via the free Edifier Connect app on Android and iPhone. More on that below.
Calling and watching movies
It's easy to take phone calls AND video calls with the Edifier TWS330NB. Your voice sounds loud enough and even pleasantly warm. Surrounding background sounds are mostly left out of the call, although louder outside noises (like accelerating scooters) and wind can cause crackles on the line.
Watching videos is flawless on the TWS330 NB, with spot-on synchronization between audio and video on both Android and iPhone. That includes the challenging YouTube app. Thanks to the Game Mode, performance in games is great too. Activate it, and there's barely any delay in sound effects left when playing games.
App quality of Edifier TWS330NB
The Edifier connect app (free for Android and iPhone, requires GPS location and background running on Android) adds some extra functions to the Edifier TWS330NB, which are worth looking into at least once.
Check the battery life of both earbuds
Switch between ANC and Ambient Mode (also from an Android notification slider)
Read the user manual
Change the volume of the voice prompts
Change the double-tap and triple-tap controls on the left and right earbud
Change the tap sensitivity
Re-pair the earbuds, or revert to the Factory settings
Update the firmware of the earbuds
The app main screen keeps it simple
You can change the controls per control option per earbud - it's cumbersome
Unfortunately, it's impossible to add extra control options, so you can't add more controls by holding down the touch panel or touching it only once. You won't find any sound equalizers as well. While the app may not look too fancy, you don't need an account to use it, and everything is easy to understand.
ANC Noise cancelling test of Edifier TWS330NB
The ANC Active Noise Cancelling on the Edifier TWS330NB is decent. On by default, it mostly diminishes darker background sounds from your surroundings. Brighter sounds, like traffic, keyboard clicking, or the dishwasher, have the highest noted topped off but still come through. Especially sudden sounds, like door slams or (male/ heavier voiced) people talking, aren't reduced very well. A cheaper competitor like the Realme Buds Air 2 Neo performs better. Nevertheless, the Edifier can still bring some rest to your head.
The Transparency/ Ambient mode lets in some more chatter and traffic around you on moments you need it, but this only works - a tiny bit - when you're not listening to music. The difference with the Normal/ ANC off mode isn't that big.
Wind noise reduction then? While the ANC mode doesn't always show a lot of wind when you're walking, running, or cycling with these buds, it's good to have the option to turn ANC off on the buds, as that will leave out wind noise more successfully than in the other modes. This will also extend your battery life up to 1,5 hours, so it's worth considering to turn the ANC off.
Also read: The best wireless ANC earbuds
Sound quality of Edifier TWS330NB: Brightish
After the impressive sound quality delivered by the samely-priced Edifier TWS1 Pro, it's sad to see the Edifier TWS330NB doesn't reach quite the same level.
Like previous Edifiers, the TWS330 NB has a brightish sound, as it puts more weight into the treble region than many other affordable earbuds do. Both male and female vocals sound crisp and appear slightly louder than surrounding instruments. Upper mid-tones coming from instruments like guitars, violins, or trumpets also sound clear.
Unfortunately, while this emphasis is handled wonderfully on the TWS1 Pro, the TWS330NB doesn't handle upper-mids and highs equally well. Vocal outbursts, cymbals, or claps can sound sharp - up to the point you want to reduce the volume because of them. Unlike the TWS1 Pro, music doesn't feel very airy. You can hear sound effects on your left and right - with vocals often nicely centered in the middle, but it's hard to speak of a wide soundstage. Music feels close to you.
In the lower tones, the TWS330NB mostly displays mid-bass. Lower mid-tones, which normally provide music with warmth and flow, are barely boosted, resulting in this TWS sounding clear rather than warm. In articulated, easy-going songs like Angels from The XX, the sub-bass isn't afraid to show a stab you can feel, but those instances are rare. In more crowded songs, the bass doesn't sound very deep and isn't very layered. Happily, there is still enough mid-bass punch and speed to make modern genres like pop, dance, hip-hop, and electronic music sound uplifting.
That is - with ANC noise-cancelling on. The Edifier TWS330NB sound loses its mid-bass fullness with the function turned off, showing less weight and detail in the lower frequencies. It can be the difference between a song sounding uplifting and clear, or just thin and shallow.
Edifier TWS330NB comparisons
Edifier TWS330NB vs Realme Buds Air 2
Realme Buds Air 2 on the left, Edifier on the right
The Realme Buds Air 2 is another pair of stem-design wireless ANC earphones, this one under the $50 mark. The Realme has more effective noise-cancelling than the Edifier, although it makes you hear a bit of 'air flow' to rule out surrounding noises. It also comes with a more comprehensive app with different sound signatures and more control options. Battery life and comfort are comparable, and both fare great in phone and video calls. The Buds Air 2 wins on sound quality, with a more natural, bit colder, tonality, yet stronger and more engaging bass and better-controlled upper-mids and highs.
Realme Buds Air 2 review coming soon - buy on AliExpress, Amazon Germany or other Amazon stores ($40)
Edifier TWS330NB vs Realme Buds Air 2 Neo
The $30 Realme Buds Air 2 Neo are the cheapest wireless earbuds with usable ANC you can buy right now. These are without stems, and thanks to the round earbuds, passive noise isolation is better. Add up the ANC, and it silences more background and closeby sounds than the Edifier, even though the latter rules out the brightest sounds more effectively. The Edifier handles calls better; the Realme has a better app - coming with three sound signatures. The Bright setting adds more clarity and upper-mid detail to its own sound and compared to that of the Edifier, which sounds warmer, but less balanced and natural. The Buds Air 2 Neo has better battery life as well.
Edifier TWS330NB vs Edifier TWSNB2
The slightly more expensive noise-cancelling Edifier TWS NB2 hasn't got much better active noise cancelling than the newcomer. It leaves in even more surrounding noises, failing to bring rest to your head - something the TWS330NB does a little better. The TWSNB2 does have a fuller, warmer sound, with more mid-bass impact and smoother vocals that stay away from the occasional harshness and thinness on the cheaper sibling. Call quality is great on both, but the TWS2 NB has way better battery life.
Edifier TWS330NB vs Coumi Freedom Dots
The Edifier TWS330 NB sounds noticeably brighter than the comparably priced Coumi Freedom Dots. The Edifier has more clarity in vocals and more open upper-mids than the Freedom Dots, which throws in a bigger mid-bass thump and much thicker lower-mids instead, giving an overly warm and somewhat congested sound, in which vocals can drown sometimes. The Edifier has a more compact case and smaller stems; the Coumi offers half an hour more battery life, has slightly more effective noise-cancelling, and carries shower-proof waterproof rating.
Verdict
The Edifier TWS330NB wireless earbuds may not stand out when it comes to sound quality or ANC noise cancelling, but offer great call quality and comfort on a budget.
Four stars - good
Buy Edifier TWS330 NB/ check price:
Buy on Amazon US
Buy on Amazon UK
Buy on other Amazon countries
Buy on AliExpress
I bought the Edifier TWS330NB myself to test and review myself. My reviews are 100% independent and non-commercial. I test and review all audio products equally honest - read about it here.
Consider buying this earphone? I'd really appreciate it if you use the links in this article. It won't cost you extra, yet it will financially support me a bit in my ongoing quest for great affordable audio. <3
Also read:
Leaderboard: All rated wireless earphones
